Fargo Marathon Charities

The Fargo Marathon began in 2005 and the community quickly rallied around the event. As the event grew, volunteers even coordinated a Charity Team program that encouraged individuals running in Fargo Marathon events to do so on behalf of a favorite organization.

Dakota Medical Foundation (DMF) acquired this fundraising program in 2010 and found that it was at a tipping point. DMF wanted a hands-on leader to bring the volunteer-run program to the next level.

DMF brought Reach Partners on board to revamp and manage the program. Rachel worked closely with the nonprofits -- those that had already participated in the volunteer-led program and those that hadn’t -- to develop a plan for the project. She asked the right questions to keep the group focused and moving forward. She researched best practices, comparable programs and industry trends to bring context and ideas to the conversation.

She also led the charge for creating resources that charities of all sizes could use to encourage and support runners who raised funds for their organization.